chapter 21: fern is even more confused

~fern~

       "Alright, since half of the class is gone to that workshop, I think it wouldn't be fair to assign work for you all to do," my teacher says. "So for this class, treat it like a free period. You can work on assignments for other classes, talk to your friends, whatever as long as you stay in the classroom. I'll even let you go on your phone as long as you keep the volume low enough so no one else hears it."

       I know exactly what I like doing in my free time, so I reach into my pocket and take out a small crochet project I've been working on; a small turtle. I have been making a blanket for Kiro, but considering I use chunky yarn, there's no way I can fit the yarn and the work in progress in my backpack, so it's just something I work on at home.

       I'm wanting to gift the crocheted turtle to Kiro when I'm finished it. He loves turtles, and I hope that it makes him feel better. He has been feeling better physically, but he's still trying to wrap his head around the diagnosis and get used to his new lifestyle, so I hope my gift is enough to cheer him up.

       Kiro always tries his best to make me feel better when I'm feeling down, so I want to do the same thing for him.

       Harlow rests her head on her desk, announcing that she's going to take a nap. It's a perfect time to nap anyway since she won't get in trouble for doing so. I think it's nice that our teacher decided not to give us any work to do while the boys are taking part in an anti-sexism workshop. I don't know if all teachers are going to do that for second period, but hopefully they are.

       I'm able to finish the crochet turtle by the time second period ends, so I'm able to gift it to Kiro as soon as I meet up with him. I text him once it's lunch asking him if the workshop is done. He says it is and to meet him at his locker, so I head there.

       I climb up the stairs to the second floor where Kiro's locker is. Before I even get to his locker, I can see it in the distance and see Kiro talking to some girl. I don't want to interrupt their conversation, so I just stand nearby and wait for them.

       But as I'm waiting for them, I can't help but feel this weird feeling in my heart. It kind of feels like a sting, but it's nothing I've felt before so I don't know what's causing it. It doesn't last long, so I don't think it's anything serious.

       The conversation ends and the girl walks away, walking passed me. She gives me a small smile before continuing on.

      I walk over to Kiro. "What was that about?" 

      "Nothing serious," Kiro says. "She just wanted to know if I wanted to go on a date with her sometime."

       "Oh." I feel yet another sting in my heart, but once again it doesn't last long so I ignore it. "Did you say yes?"

       Kiro shakes his head. "No, I told her I'm not really looking for a relationship right now. She was understanding." He closes his locker. "So where do you want to go for lunch?"

       "Hmm..." I think for a bit. "I think I'm fine going anywhere. I'm not really craving anything in particular. Maybe a cafe?"

      "Yeah, we can go to a cafe," Kiro says.

       We're about to head out but before we do, I remember that I made the crochet turtle for Kiro and I want to give it to him now. "Oh, I forgot. During second period, the teacher let us do whatever we want so..." I reach into my uniform's suit jacket pocket and pull out the turtle. "I made you this."

       Kiro immediately smiles as he takes the crochet turtle from me. "Awe, Fern. This is so cute." He pulls me into a hug. "Thank you. I love it."

       I smile as I hug Kiro back, feeling happy that I was able to make him happy. He's my best friend and I want to do whatever I can to make him happy.

       We go to the cafe near our school for lunch, and Kiro tells me that the worker that was always staring at me last time wasn't working here, so we would be able to sit and eat this time. I still don't know why that worker would stare at me, but I don't want to know. At least Kiro said it wasn't in a lustful way since I'm a teenager and the man seemed to be in his 40s.

       As we're eating our lunch, Kiro tells me how the anti-sexism workshop went. A few guys complained about it, but it was likely guys who have been unbearable lately because of the list that were complaining. Any guy who agreed that the list was stupid and sexist just sat quietly and watched the workshop.

       Kiro told me that there was also a part of the workshop where volunteers would act out a scenario about what to do if you hear a classmate or a friend objectifying a girl classmate. Poor Aleks volunteered but then was assigned the role of acting like someone objectifying a female student. He's gay, so he had no idea what to say to objectify them and settled with saying stuff like, "She has nice hair," or "I like her outfit," even though we all wear the same school uniform.

       At least he was an example of things you can say that girls will take as a compliment and not like you're objectifying them.

       I hope that the workshop worked for the guys who have been objectifying all the female students and judging them based on what their ranking on that list is. Maybe it won't change them, but maybe they'll at least keep their thoughts to themselves.

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this is how the acting out scenario went for aleks (freddie and kiro volunteered with him where freddie was objectifying with aleks and kiro was supposed to show what he would do to stop them):

freddie: yo, look at that girl she's so hot.
aleks: ah yes, she has nice... hair.

when aleks finally said something that worked, kiro threatened them to not be sexist and got in trouble lmao. "you can't threaten someone, kiro." kiro: "you said to do what i would normally do if i hear someone objectifying girls."

at least the sexist students know that kiro can and will threaten them if he hears them lol

(anyway poor fern now has a crush on kiro but hasn't realized it yet)